Though the grooves are just as tight five years on from the debut Galliano album, The Plot Thickens features the group's expanded eco-political focus on "Twyford Down" and "Long Time Gone." Elsewhere, "Blood Lines" and "Rise and Fall" chart singalong acid-jazz.

Though the grooves are just as tight five years on from the debut Galliano album, The Plot Thickens features the group's expanded eco-political focus on "Twyford Down" and "Long Time Gone." Elsewhere, "Blood Lines" and "Rise and Fall" chart singalong acid-jazz.

The first act signed to the groundbreaking acid jazz label Talkin' Loud, Galliano formed in 1988 around acid house DJ Rob Gallagher but later turned to laid-backand jazzy soul with heavy emphasis on live presentation and environmental issues.

This album's got lots of nice jazz fusion tracks, blended with the nice R&B tip that the band usually has. Titles include "Love In the Dark", "Soho", "One Step To A Miracle", "Smile", and their great cover of "Always There".

Beneath the Surface finds original lead singer Maysa Leak returning to the Incognito fold. Coincidentally or not, the record finds the group moving deeply into smooth, laidback, jazzy soul. It's a seductive sound and the group executes it well, even though there ironically isn't that much substance beneath the surface.

The first act signed to the groundbreaking acid jazz label Talkin' Loud, Galliano formed in 1988 around acid house DJ Rob Gallagher but later turned to laid-back and jazzy soul with heavy emphasis on live presentation and environmental issues. A loose collective during its first years, the group comprised Gallagher with raps and turntables, vocalist Valerie Étienne (aka Auntie Val), guitarist Mark Vandergucht, bass player Ernie McKone, drummer Crispin Taylor, keyboard player Mick Talbot. If you like the powerful mixture of hip hop/funky jazzy sound, you will enjoy this album.

Freehand is almost a forgotten american prog band that release a single album in fall of 1989. Recorded during 1988, summer, this album has some traces of King Crimson (Discipline era) and here and there some jazz hints aswell. Anyway the musicianship is strong delivering some very fine moments like: Mastodon (one of the pieces with voice), are some instrumental here as well, title track - Thinking Out Loud is another example of good prog music of the late '80's.